Chapter 4- Taking a Stand

The Fort

Prospective: The Kid

"Did you know that it takes exactly seventeen seconds to chew through the armor of an Eater of Souls using any kind of flammable projectile?" Drey said as he walked up next to me and sat down on the dead grass, which was slowly now returning to life.

"What?" I said looking over at him. "You just say something?"

"Yeah man, the Eaters… Their carapace takes seventeen seconds to burn through."

"Ok… you're point?"

"My point? Man, why you always got to be hating? What makes you think I even had a point?"

"…um," I started to say but was interrupted.

"Man no I'm just messin-wich-u holmes. I do actually have a reason for bringing that up."

"Oh really, which would be what exactly?"

"Alright, dig this holmes. So… a few days ago when I heard from you guys about this campaign we're all a part of now, I was like, hell yes! Ok so at the time, I'm workin on this laser particle assimilation relay matrix configuration grid right man… and I see these creatures moving through the East, called Gastropods. Little floaty pink things with integrated molecular energy discharge focal points."

"You mean that they can fire an energy particle beam from their bodies?"

"Yeah man why you got to make it sound so unsophisticated like that? Man… anyway, so I saw them and I was like, I could make that work better. So I integrated my laser systems I was workin on with them Gastropods. Wouldn't ya know, their molecular compositions are approximately identical to my laser system. I was able to amplify my volunteer's laser output by about 600%. If them things could speak, bet it would have been happy."

"You were actually able to amplify its natural effects by that much?" I asked, now more interested in Drey's babble.

"Yeah sure. I could have turned it up even further… however the energies would likely have eradicated the Gastropod had I increased them much more."

I chuckled.

"What man?"

"Drey… you sure are smart for how you seem at first glance."

He laughed deeply. "Yeah man that's what my ma and pa always told me."

My attention was suddenly drawn to Faye as I noticed her moving past us a few hundred yards in the distance.

"Man what you lookin at?" Drey asked noticing the sudden stray in my attention.

"Huh, oh nothing," I said looking away.

"Oh no… I see how it is…"

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"No need to shout bout it dog. You saw-er first eh?"

"Whatever you're implying, discard it! I have no interest in that woman…" I said standing up.

"You sure? Drey said following. "Because I see how you two look at each other…"

"Look at each other!? She looks at me like she's ready to impale me."

"And what about you kid? How do you see her when you look back at those soft eyes, that cute little body she's got?" he asked getting more serious in tone.

"I… I don't know. She's attractive. She's a terrible person though. She's crude, acts like a prude all the time, is overly confident, a know-it-all and she treats people as if their expendable to her."

"Yeah man, but she's hot…"

I glared at him from the corner of my eye questioningly.

"Joking man. Look, I just wondered ight."

"There's nothing to wonder about. Despite how long we've known each other, she's never going to change her mind about the humans… or about me."

"Whatever you say man… She still spraying that powder?"

"Yeah. She's been doing it all day."

"Nearly nightfall at this point."

"I see that," I said looking to the horizon over the tainted mountains. "You can bet that the Corruption will have something in store for us tonight."

"Well, good for us Faye's cleared away enough taint that the forces that arrived earlier today were more than capable of constructing several sets of facilities behind a guarded parameter. They callin it our main base of operations. Least till we get a more suitable one eh?"

"Right… even so. Most of Faye's forces won't arrive until later, after tomorrow at the earliest. The forces we have here now are important… but limited."

"Mostly seems that what we've got so far is a division of gastropods, a couple assemblies of unicorns and their human riders and about five thousand fairies and some pixies. Ain't much, still, should be enough to discourage the Corruption's local forces in this area."

"Yeah, for now… however what happens when the other parts of the Corruption gather and amass their armies for an assault? Every minute Faye's army isn't here, is more time the Corruption has to assimilate its dark forces and prepare against us. Do recall that they outnumber us… significantly."

"Yeah, but we out match them… so even terms, way I see it. Besides, you've got me around to protect you," he chuckled.

"The help is appreciated, but even you're not going to be much use if the Corruption decides to send a full force against us before sunrise."

"We'll make it, don't you worry kid."

"We don't have much more time left," I said watching the sun set. "Let's head back to base, and see how things are coming along. I've not got a chance to inspect the operation since before lunch earlier today."

"Sounds good man. What about Faye?"

"She's under heavy guard, nothing is going to attack them this early in the evening," I said glancing at her once more. She was still spraying that powder of hers, pushing back the darkness. Several dozen Unicorns and their riders walked nearby her, keeping guard at all times. "You know what's bothering me?" I asked looking over at Drey as he and I made our way towards the massive, primarily wooden fortress that had been constructed throughout today.

"What's that?"

"We've not been hit since the incident this morning with those Wraiths. Even with the sunlight, the Corruption should have offered more retaliation against our forced entry."

"Come on man, it's only been like what, thirteen hours since you got here? They're probably still in shock. I can guarantee with night coming that we gonna see some action."

"You think these guys are ready?"

Drey laughed. "They've been trained, they'll do fine kid. Ain't sayin they'll be as good as you and I, we something else… I think they'll do fine."

"I do hope so… all day I've had this feeling… like something is watching us… And I don't mean the giant eye, so don't even crack that joke."

"This start ever since that Wraith stabbed you, eh?"

"Yeah, and it's starting to freak me out a bit. It's like I can feel someone else's presence inside my mind, whispering to me. A name keeps echoing through my mind…"

"Commander!" a human soldier said saluting as Drey and I walked up the main ramp leading into the forward installation of the base parameter.

"At ease," I said walking past him.

"Yes sir. Sir, the Admiral has arrived. He wants to speak with you two as soon as possible," the soldier said coming up on our side and walking with us.

"The Admiral? He is already here? I thought he was supposed to arrive tomorrow?" I asked as we entered the main gate of the secondary wall.

"Yes sir, that was the original intention, however I received a report that he has in fact arrived. Apparently he wants to talk with you two about the strategy of engagement against the Corruption."

"Understood. Where can we find him?"

"The Admiral should be currently on the main deck of the inner most tower sir! It's what they're calling the control tower now sir!"

"Understood. We'll make our way there immediately."

"Very good sir! Should I send a Gastropod to alert the Admiral?"

"No, we'll surprise him."

"Yes sir!" the soldier said saluting and breaking off.

"Amazing how many young humans kids are here huh?" said Drey.

"Yeah… most of humanity is long gone. To see so many humans in one place… feels strange to me."

"See man… these are exactly the kind of reasons that you need to get out of the house more often and come visit some of the human colonies. You spend all your time surrounded by a bunch of weirdo super humans, some not even human at all like that Skeleton guy… or that machine dude… or Faye… I'm not sure about the fat witch doctor dude… then there's…"

"Ok… I get it…"

"All I'm sayin man, is you stay in a village you say you built by hand, in the middle of nowhere, on that damn island of yours, surrounded by a bunch of weirdo freaks all the time. No wonder you ain't normal kid."

"I did build that town…" I grinned… "With some help of course. Hey, I do get out, just not off my island very often."

"Man… How did Faye even convince you to come overseas to the Corruption mainland?" he chuckled.

"She and I both understand the greater duties we have to this world. She only needed to ask, that was all it took to convince me."

"Careful kid, startin to sound like a hero on me bro… Don't go changing for the better that fast now you hear. I'd miss my old friend if he got himself killed over something like this."

"Don't you get it Drey… what we're doing here could fix everything… with the Corruption mainland's gone, the rest of the planet's Corruption will eventually fall, and wither away. And then life will have a chance of returning once more to this wasteland of a world we once called our home."

"Kid… I admire your spunk… Even if we do succeed in this campaign, and in a few years mankind is free, and can rebuild in a world free of Corruption… what makes you think that we won't fall down our old path again? What makes you think humanity has changed that much since this all began? Do recall kid… it was us who created the Corruption in the first place… to end all wars and vanquish our enemies… Control… Power… Turns out pure evil don't like to listen to its human masters so much eh? We did this to ourselves kid… undoing it won't fix what's broke inside humanity."

"It's a start Drey… we have to start somewhere. Stopping it from getting any worse is a good place to start," I said as we stepped onto the lift that would raise us up to the top of the newly deemed 'control tower'.

"You got a lot of faith in humanity kid," Drey said as the lift lurched upwards and shakily rose towards the top of the wooden shaft.

"I can't afford to think otherwise… I can't lose the memories of my past… what few memories I do recall. I can't give up on searching for the truth of who I am."

"You still on that huh? You were born, like the rest of us humans man."

"Then where are my parents? Where are my memories? Why can't I recall anything past two and a half years ago?"

"Amnesia maybe… I don't know man… I'm a weapons expert, not a doctor holmes... Ask that sexy little nurse of yours next time you see her, maybe she knows."

"Right…" I said as the lift came to a stop.

Two huge wooden doors swung open automatically as we stepped towards them.

"Looks like that cute little mechanic girl has already arrived, eh?" Drey chuckled.

"It would seem so. And stay away from her. She's not your type," I said looking down at the pressure plate we had tripped. "I have to admit, she's getting better at crafting these. I didn't even feel that one.

"What do you mean she ain't my type? All woman are my type man…"

"Gentlemen…" the Admiral said the instant we walked into the room.

The entire room was coated in rich mahogany, reinforced with steel beams and concrete pillars that surrounded a series of windows that overlooked the entire base.

"Oh… we high up man," Drey said staggering at the sight of how truly high above the ground we were now standing.

"Admiral!" I said saluting.

Drey never saluted, since he was not a part of any regulated military faction. Technically neither was I… I liked to act as though I was. The military treated me that way at least. Maybe that was only because I was the only human being who seemed to be capable of wielding the higher tier weapons of this world. None of the other humans were like me… all but one.

"At ease son…"

"Sir! You wanted to see us sir!" I shouted.

The Admiral was the only one I ever addressed with such respect… I guess that was mostly because he was like a father to me and I felt he deserved it.

Admiral, normally the position in charge of commanding fleets at sea, however since the fall of humanity the positions in military structure were augmented. Simply put, everyone else died. The Admiral was more like a General of the human army. We called him the Admiral because that's what he once was. Honestly at this point he represented a position more closely related to a supreme dictator over humanities militarized forces. Despite that kind of power he remained rational and mostly humble. We addressed him as Admiral, since there was no appropriate title he preferred. Perhaps that was merely to serve as a nickname.

"Good to see you son, Drey… you too. Don't bother sitting down, because you'll just stand up when you hear this."

"Has something happened sir?" I asked.

"Rather a lack of actually… I had expected you two to greet me upon arrival today, I was intending on informing you sooner. You two seemed to be occupied with other matters when I arrived."

"My apologies sir... I didn't expect you to arrive so much ahead of schedule."

"Yes well… we had favorable conditions on the trip here and fortunately made it in a much timelier manner than previously anticipated. However, what I wanted to tell you was that the division of Gastropods that we arrived with reported that they had detected that the Corruption forces have left this area entirely."

"What!?" Drey exclaimed.

"Why?" I asked.

"They're not at all retreating… their forces in this region have pulled back to form a blockade to the North about four miles inland and are fortifying a defensive position against us."

"It's not like the Corruption to fall back… ever." I stated.

"That's why I needed to talk with you. Since you are a large part in the commanding aspect of this mission, we need to discuss what this could mean."

"Should I send to have Faye brought here as well? She should be in on this conversation if we are planning…"

"No leave the Dryad out of this… she has no place here among man."

"But sir…"

"That's enough son!"

"Yes sir!"

"As I was saying… they're defensive accumulation is disturbing because it violates their nature. Creatures of the Corruption are rash, violent, mindless monsters that do not think or use reason when dealing with their foes. These creatures seem to be acting of another's accord."

"You think that there could be a higher power controlling them?" asked Drey.

"We really don't know. It is possible that evolution has accelerated some of their kind into a state that might allow for some level of cunning or calculation to be executed. We must assume that there is indeed a higher entity controlling these creatures that has ordered them to pull back."

"Why retreat though? This is the time to hammer us, while we're still weak and only getting started…" I stated.

"Yes that is the second reason I am disturbed by their recent actions. If there is a higher power controlling them, why pull back when they have the upper hand?"

"You don't think they gonna summon it, do you?" said Drey.

"The Eater of Worlds you mean?" asked the Admiral.

"Yeah… that beasty is one bad-ass worm… fought it once we did, with some others as well… long time ago… couldn't kill it."

"Well as you can see we are more prepared as of now for its coming, if in fact they do awaken it. However that does not seem to be their immediate plan. Scouts detected Wraiths monitoring our growing outer parameter. There was no confrontation, but they're watching us."

"Naturally," I replied. "The sun is going to set soon… We should call in our forces and prepare for a long night sir."

"I've already sent the order to pull everyone back. You and I need to discus strategy. Come morning, we are going to need to make a push, and smash that blockade before they can further reinforce it."

"Understood sir, and for the time may I suggest…"

"Incoming!" a soldier shouted from the window of the room. "Fliers incoming!"

"We'll continue this conversation later son! Sound the alert! All hands to battle stations!" The Admiral shouted, swinging into action. "Get those fliers on screen and determine their numbers Brigs!"

"Yes sir, pulling up holographic systems now… we've got a good lock on their forces. On screen now, sir."

A holographic image manifested of the coming fliers.

"How many are we dealing with?"

"Scanners are reading out at about seventeen hundred sir."

"Unit classification?"

"They're not Eater's sir."

"Then what are they? Scourge?"

"No sir, not Wraiths, or bats either."

"Them critters look like Wyvern…" stated Drey.

"No they're too small to be Wyvern. And besides the body shape is all wrong," I replied watching the holographic monitor.

"Deploy what aerial forces we currently have available!" ordered the Admiral. "Get the pixies and fairies to amass around the outside of the inner wall and concentrate their energies on forming a plasma shield around the base! Get everyone inside!"

"Gastropods are being tasked sir! Deploying in thirty seconds.

"Sir the pixies and fairies have received orders and are in route!"

"Everyone's behind our lines sir!"

"Good… prepare ground stat turrets for combat, and bring my Mech walkers online! Get unicorns and riders to support their forward defensive!"

"Damn that's a lot of bugs heading our way…" said Drey watching the mass of hundreds of swarming creatures heading in our direction.

"Let's hope these things aren't as hard to kill as Eaters are," I said.

"It's interesting that their able to move so effectively in this light," said Drey. "It's still not night. This attack is coming much earlier than anticipated."

"To throw us off guard," said the Admiral.

"The sunlight… they don't seem to be affected by it."

"I see that son… Clearly the enemy has been busy. Modifying genetic stands and growing an army… they must have seen this coming for some time. This night, we prove that humanity and the forces of good will not tolerate this darkness any longer! This night, we send a message back to the Corruption core! We are not afraid, and we are coming to take back what was once ours!"

"Let's hope we survive the night to send the message…" Drey mumbled.

I braced my sword with one hand in its holster. It was humming with energy, eager to be used. It must have been capable of sensing my inner rage. I was ready to draw blood, ready to send that message. "This time… it'll be different. This time, we're the ones who are going to win…"